Butterfly Inveiglement
by firefly
Summary: Hinata was never one to seek comfort from friends, or depend on the presence of people when she needed it...but her attempts to separate herself from her old life will be disrupted by the accidental reemurgence of a former Team 8 member: Aburame, Shino.


Butterfly Inveiglement

By: firefly

Note: Hiya, I'm back! I decided to do a lil Shino/Hinata fic before I did any other Naruto fics. Only because I adore Shino and his personality is probably the easiest to cope with, for Hinata that is! I don't know much about Shino's personality, and was only able to gather what he was like from other people's fics, so I hope he's in character! ;;

Anyway, I don't own Naruto. Enjoy and don't forget to leave me a review! Thanx, have a nice day.

(The song below pretty much inspired the feel of this fic. It's beautiful. Give it a listen! )

_Welcome to the planet_

_Welcome to existence_

_Everyone's here_

_Everybody's watching you now_

_Everybody waits for you now_

_What happens next?_

_I dare you to move…_

_I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor_

_I dare you to move…_

_Like today never happened_

_Today never happened before__…_

_Welcome to the fallout_

_Welcome to resistance_

_The tension is here…_

_Between who you are and who you could be_

_Between how it is and how it should be_

_Maybe redemption has stories to tell_

_Maybe forgiveness is right where you fell_

_Where can you run to escape from yourself?_

_Where're you gonna go?_

_Salvation is here…_

_I dare you to move…_

_I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor _

_I dare you to move _

_Like today never happened _

_Today never happened _

_Today never happened before…_

-** Dare You To Move**

_Switchfoot_

**Butterfly Inveiglement**

Her steps were soundless as she descended the stairs, pausing only to verify the complete silence within her house. Biting nervously at her lower lip, Hinata nimbly leapt over the last creaky stair and landed on the carpet. 

She opened the front door and closed it behind her, breathing a deep sigh of relief, her eyes settling on the pale sky. The sun still hadn't risen, and not a single sound could be heard. 

This was how she liked it. Before dawn, when the world was still sleeping, and she could steal away to her sanctuaries without interference.

Smiling, she closed her eyes briefly as she walked towards the quiet meadow, a warm breeze sweeping her hair away from her face, which had grown down to her shoulders since her Genin days.

_Four years_…she pondered as she parted the thin branches of a thicket and ventured inside. _It seems only yesterday I was weeding someone's lawn with Kiba and Shino…_

__

It was late May, and the flowers had come into full bloom, the air sweetening from their fragrance. She took her place near a wild patch of grass still wet with dew, and there she sat for a few moments, staring at her surroundings.

There were no sneering faces here to remind her of her lacking ninja skills; no taunts from Hanabi, glares from Neji, or reprimands from her father…only the faces she could picture in the downy beginnings of clouds within the sky.

She imagined that it was the face of a certain blonde haired boy that was the first to smile down at her.

Leaning back until her back met with the moist grass, she sighed as her black hair splayed out behind her. She let her eyes rest on the pale sky, a canopy of trees outlining the edges of her vision. 

A vague smile graced her face as she cocked her head to the side and spotted Akamaru within the shapeless clouds above her. The smile faded as the clouds receded, taking the object of her affections and Kiba's dog with it. 

Not much had changed since their Genin years. Naruto had definitely acknowledged her more after her fight with Neji at the Chunnin exams, but there was nothing in his "hello's" and "goodbye's" other than mutual respect, something that left her more mangled than her fight with Neji. 

For days she had stood in front of her mirror, wondering what Naruto didn't like about her. What did that girl Sakura have that she didn't? 

_Vibrancy, for one_…she had told herself. _Confidence…stubbornness…beauty…everything…_

She had not cried when she realized this, but had become so quiet that her team treated her with the careful concern one used around unstable people. Even Kiba, who was more rambunctious than Naruto at times, was carefully quiet around her. 

She didn't exactly understand why they responded to her silence with their own. Maybe they thought she was suicidal. At this Hinata laughed out loud as she lay in the grass, the sudden sound startling a bird into flight. 

Not once had the thought of harming herself crossed her mind, and that, she speculated, was the reason for her present survival. Who else would care for her well-being if she didn't herself? 

Her team did, apparently. Pearly white eyes unfocused slightly as she recalled Kurenai's constant encouragement, even though the Jounin had probably realized that Hinata would never match her comrades in strength. 

Kiba and his constant compliments for her hard work and dedication, even though her progress was minimal. Akamaru too, for the comforting companionship only a dog could provide. 

And Shino… 

Hinata blinked away the fogginess in her eyes as she pictured her silent and strange teammate in her mind. The small smile reappeared as she recalled her initial intimidation of him when they first met. He was so much taller than her and Kiba, and the high collar of his coat and his black shades made her feel as if she was overly exposed. 

He had never been one for conversation, so she received nothing but his contemplative stares when attention was drawn to her. Occasionally, he asked her if she was all right if she fell or something, but other than that, there were no words between them. 

_But still_, she thought. _I think_…_he understood me best_. _I think he knew I needed nothing in the way of words_. 

Turning her head, Hinata reached out and pulled at the small flowers from a batch of milkweed. She twirled the flower between her fingers, before reaching back and tucking it into her hair. 

She vividly recalled the battle between Shino and Zaku four years ago, and how she had nearly fainted when Shino's bugs had blown the Sound ninja's arm off. Shino came away virtually unscathed, calm as anything. 

Hinata had felt some pity towards Shino after that, for having such a monstrous ability to defend himself. Everywhere they went, people shied away from him because of his disturbing abilities, but she had soon realized that Shino just didn't care what other people thought. 

He did not need her pity. 

_How does he do it_? She wondered as she pulled the petals off the milkweed flower. _I can't handle it when people criticize me, but he can deal with not being acknowledged at all…___

__

__

_You don't know that_, another voice in her head admonished. 

She put the naked stem against her lips and twirled it thoughtfully as she pictured Shino's nonchalant expression and toneless voice, and she tried to imagine him with an expression other than one of indifference. 

A bee flew overhead, startling her out of her reverie. 

"I wonder how he is," she said aloud, surprised at how quiet her voice was, as if she was afraid someone might hear her. She laughed quietly to herself, reaching for another flower when she heard a slight rustle within the thicket ahead. 

The stem fell from her hands and she abruptly sat up, her eyes wide. Had her father realized she was missing and sent a servant to find her? 

Making no move to escape, she instead waited for the visitor to show themselves. She remained motionless for about a minute, and then she heard a curious buzzing sound. 

Her voice called out somewhat shakily. "H-Hello? Is anyone there…?" And she silently berating herself for stuttering. 

The buzzing ceased and the leaves rustled as someone stepped through them and into the clearing. Hinata's eyes widened in surprise, and she let out an exclamation of shock. 

"_Shino_?" She gasped rather incredulously, as the bug boy stepped into the clearing, hands tucked casually into his coat's pockets. He raised his head at the sound of her voice, and raised his hand in a gesture of greeting. 

"Hello Hinata." 

Noticing her bewildered state and the fact that she was still dressed in her blue cotton pajamas, he saved her the trouble of standing and walked over to her. 

Hinata blushed when she realized that Shino was staring at her apparel, her "kiddish" blue pajamas that even her younger sister made fun of her for. More embarrassing were the little flower patterns on it. 

"S-Shino," she stammered again. "What are you doing here?" 

_Oh, that's nice…_a snide voice in her head reprimanded. _You didn't even say hello!_

"Gathering bugs," he answered. 

"Oh…" Hinata said, tucking a strand of hair behind her hair. "Um, this early?" 

"This is when they venture out." 

Shino must have guessed that she was going to ask how he had found her, so he inclined his head towards his pet bee, which was currently sitting on his shoulder. 

"He told me you were here." 

Hinata's eyes widened when she recalled the bee that flew over her head, and by the sound of awkward silence that suddenly occurred, Hinata decided that it was her turn for an explanation. 

She looked up at Shino and felt rather unnerved by the fact that he was standing, so she coughed politely and patted the patch of grass beside her. 

He seemed slightly taken aback, but he obligingly lowered himself to the grass, adjusting his shades. Hinata looked at him from the corner of her eye, trying to stifle a laugh as he shifted uncomfortably, his coat bunching up. 

"Um…" Hinata started, trying to avoid awkward silence and the laughter that was bubbling up inside of her. "It's quite warm today, Shino. Why don't you just, um, take it off?" 

She could tell that the idea didn't appeal that much to him, judging from the way his brow furrowed. But the perspiration forming on his skin and the discomfort of the coat gave him little other choice. 

Rather reluctantly, he unbuttoned the coat and shrugged it off, letting it fall in a heap behind him. Fiddling with the milkweed flower in his hands, Hinata couldn't help but stare at him, since his whole face was a sight she rarely saw, even in the four years she'd known him. 

Even now, his skin retained the impeccable smoothness he had in his Genin years, and the only real physical difference she saw was that he had grown taller. Even the untamed bush that was his hair looked exactly as it had four years ago. 

She lowered her eyes and realized with a flourishing blush that she was staring, so she focused on the flowers in her hand. 

"How have you been, Shino?" She asked timidly, raising her eyes. 

"Fine," he answered, turning his head slightly. "You?" 

"I'm…good," she said rather haltingly, losing herself momentarily in the life she had left behind. A life she'd soon be returning to. 

She looked up and regretted it, because one thing, she noted with slight trepidation, was that Shino still had the gift of asking questions without actually speaking. He merely looked at her and raised one eyebrow, plainly asking: 

_So what are you doing here, before dawn, in your pajamas?_

Hinata lowered her eyes to the flower again, slightly afraid of what she wanted to say, and slightly disturbed for having someone invade her personal, guarded kingdom like this. 

_Well…_she thought sardonically. _…Better Shino than one of father's servants._

"I come here," she said softly, without looking up. "…to get away from my life. Don't get the wrong idea, Shino," she said with a slight smile, eyes still intent on the flower. "I'm not depressed in any way…I just…get tired of it sometimes. 

"So I like to leave and come here. I didn't realize that you also knew about this place…" she trailed off, surprised for saying all that without stuttering. 

_Maybe she got tired of that, too._

"I didn't," she heard him say, finally. "My bee told me you were here." 

Hinata raised her head and gave him a shy smile, somewhat pleased that he came to see her on his own free will. 

She couldn't help but blush with embarrassment when he suddenly glanced at her, inclining his head towards her pajamas as the hints of a smirk pulled at his lips. 

"Oh…these? I didn't think anyone would be here, so…" Hinata said, having a laugh at her own expense as she tossed the flower behind her. 

"They're…nice." 

"_What_?" Hinata cried now, trying to sound indignant and failing. "Are you making fun of me, Shino?" 

Inexplicably, a deep feeling of jubilation rose within her as she laughed at Shino's comment, as the bug boy's not-quite-so-there smirk turned into a slight smile. 

_I made Shino smile…_Hinata thought to herself, feeling an unfamiliar weight fall from her chest, leaving her with an airy happiness she'd experienced only a few times before. 

She could only compare it to the feeling she got when she swung on the swings in the park, and, she realized with a blush, when Naruto had complimented her after her fight with Neji. 

A deep sense of confidence would flourish within her after these bouts of airy happiness, and for a day she would float free from the restricting shyness she had created for herself. She wouldn't realize it right away…only afterwards… 

So it came as quite a surprise to Shino when a bunch of petals suddenly showered into his hair, the sweet scent of the pollen nearly making him lose control over his bugs. 

A bout of cheerful laughter filled the air, and Shino turned in slight surprise to see Hinata leaning back against a tree, clutching a couple of the assaulting petals as she laughed, a few of them lying scattered in her hair. 

For a moment Shino just stared, eyebrows raised in surprise…and not just for the fact that she, the shy Hinata, had thrown a bunch of petals at him. 

Her skin was flushing from her laughter and guilt, her pale pink lips darkening from the small bites she administered to hold her laughter in. Her hair hung around her flushed face, uncombed but gleaming slightly in the pale light, her pearl-white eyes made opalescent from her laughter. 

And she smiled at his expense, smiled without bounds…smiled beautifully and glowed. 

_She never glowed quite like this before_… 

Hinata's laughter finally subsided after a few seconds, and she blushed in spite of herself when she noticed that Shino was looking at her with an odd expression on his face. 

Clearing her throat, she bowed her head apologetically. "Sorry," she said, unable to stop smiling. "I couldn't help it." 

Shino moved slightly at the sound of her voice, adjusting his shades just because he could. Hinata's smile faded slightly at the perturbed look that momentarily passed over his face, before it was quickly replaced by the calm indifference she knew so well. 

He lowered his head and turned back, slightly disquieted by what had just happened. Hinata blinked when he turned his back to her, and slowly moved back to her spot next to him, wondering if she had done something wrong. 

"I'm sorry," Hinata said quietly, after a few moments. "I didn't mean to upset you…" 

He said nothing at first, but then replied in a detached voice.

"There's nothing to apologize for, Hinata. I was just…remembering something." 

They both glanced at each other at the same time. Deciding that it was too soon for her to revert back to the shell she had just escaped from, Hinata steeled herself and hesitantly raised her hand. 

She smiled apologetically as her fingers brushed away the petals that had settled in Shino's wild hair, while the young Aburame looked at her with an expression she couldn't read. 

As the last petal drifted to the grass, Hinata lowered her hand and returned her attention to the sky, which had accumulated the pale yellow hew of dawn, concealing the stars for another day. Neither spoke; perhaps because of the still beauty of their surroundings, or because the awkwardness was too great after that slight disruption of normalcy. 

Hinata felt quite foolish with herself and it showed, whereas Shino remained motionless and gave away nothing. Minutes passed in silence, and Hinata was snapped from her dreamy stupor when Shino finally spoke. 

"Don't move," he said, and she had no choice but to obey when he suddenly knelt towards her. Paralysis seemed to grip her body completely when she felt his fingertips touch her hair, the warmth of his closeness making her skin turn various shades of pink. 

She felt her hands tremor slightly when he moved back again, and it took a moment of steeling herself just to look. When she did, her lips parted in surprise when she saw what he had on his hand. 

"It's beautiful," she found herself whispering, gazing at the butterfly that was perched placidly on Shino's hand. Its pale blue and black wings fluttered slowly and gently as the feelers twitched lazily. 

Shino nodded, pulling back to examine it. 

"_Danidae_," he said, the name flowing smoothly from his lips as Hinata admired it. "It was attracted to the milkweed in your hair." 

Hinata blinked, remembering the flower she had placed in her hair, and marveled at Shino's knowledge of the butterfly. 

They watched it for a few more seconds, and then it took off, letting the warm breeze carry it deep into the meadow. Hinata stole a glance at her companion and noticed the contented look on his face as he watched the butterfly disappear in the distance. 

"You should smile more often, Shino…" Hinata thought aloud, feeling too euppric to be fazed by her boldness. 

She smiled slightly when she felt his surprised gaze on her face, and wondered momentarily what he thought of her. 

__

_Wondered if he liked this side of her…_

"I'm glad you're with me," she added softly, running her hand over the frayed ends of grass as the breeze blew pleasantly against her flushed skin. 

They stayed that way for a while, the soft breeze and warmth nearly lulling Hinata to sleep as a few insects hummed quietly in the background. She felt her eyes open again when he spoke, his voice quiet enough to get lost among the hypnotic hum of insects. 

"You should too, Hinata." 

For a moment she blinked at him in bewilderment, until he tilted his head down, shades sliding a bit to momentarily reveal dark eyes gazing intently at the grass. 

Her lips parted in wonderment at the vulnerable humanity that shone through, only for it to be smothered again as the shades were pushed back up. 

He glanced at her, and she felt her face redden slightly. 

"Smile more often." 

It took these simple words to provoke the tears that remained dormant, waiting for any happy or sad happenings to let them resurface. The airy happiness she felt at that moment couldn't be compared to the past, as it was the only time she would shed tears with a smile. 

She felt it streak down her cheek, once, and that was all. Raising her head, she smiled at Shino, who had a look of concern and slight regret etched into his brow. 

Wordlessly, she wiped them away with the back of her hand and breathed deeply, her voice trembling slightly as she spoke. 

"W-Why…couldn't I have met you earlier, Shino?" 

He had no response to her question, and was only able to manage a feeble contemplative stare in his shocked silence. The young Aburame had never been confused as he was when Hinata only smiled at his dumbfounded silence. 

Hesitantly, Hinata moved closer to him, feeling rather shy as she leaned her head against the inside of his shoulder, the fingers of her left hand closing into a slight fist as she rested it against his collar bone. 

Shino remained motionless as she did this, his silence the only reaction he could give to her sudden intimacy. Internally, though, the sudden assault of her floral scent and warm contact made his breath stop midway, heart clenching in an emotion he hadn't yet identified. 

Hinata felt a blush light her face as she slowly came to realize what she was doing, but she didn't pull away. Slowly she had come to realize that she was not the only one who needed this, as she had seen the uncertainty and caution in his gaze. 

He wasn't just a vessel that was inhabited by the countless beings in his body…no…not to her. 

"Shino…" she whispered, feeling him stiffen slightly. "Don't… 

"Don't just be another wall I can lean against…you're more than that…" 

She raised her head slightly, giving him a shy but comforting smile as he returned the gaze with his brow furrowed slightly, his exterior betraying little about the intense, unknown feelings swarming inside. 

For a moment, Shino found it impossible to say something, feeling as though his seldom-used voice had left him entirely. He looked down at her, the petals in her hair sweetening the air, and he finally managed to find his voice again. 

"Thank you, Hinata." 

She laughed lightly, and he felt the stiffness in his arms dissipate, the warmth of her body melting away whatever insecurities that existed between them. 

Slowly, he turned his body to lean into her touch, his arm coming to rest hesitantly around her waist, his expression relaxing slightly as he looked back down at her, dark eyes resting on a Hinata he didn't quite know yet. 

A Hinata who had up until now never acknowledged him with a touch… 

And he didn't mind at all. 

And as Hinata had said to herself, she wouldn't realize the outcome of her happiness till later. 

She didn't know how they would look at each other after this meeting, in a time when there were no witnesses but the trees. 

She didn't know how people would react to the emergence of someone she kept inside. 

People who wouldn't understand… 

_But as long as he did_…she thought to herself with a smile. 

She wouldn't mind at all. 


End file.
